THE ANC is like a sick patient who needs urgent treatment to survive.

This was said by Gauteng ANC secretary David Makhura who called on the organisation to adapt to new conditions if it was to live for another 100 years.

Makhura was speaking at the centenary celebrations of the Johannesburg branch yesterday.

He said unless the ruling party moved speedily to rectify some of its ills, the party would be removed from government.

"Anyone who thinks the ANC is in a good state of health is a believer," he said.

"The ANC is a patient and it is sick, it needs intervention. One of the questions we must ask is for how long will the ANC survive if we measure the ills of today's ANC. Unless there are major interventions we will say there used to be an ANC government."

Makhura decried the way in which the succession debate was handled. He said it was understandable for the ANC in exile to operate underground and be secretive, but unacceptable in a democratic space not to openly contest for leadership.

"The conference that elected Chief (Albert) Luthuli had more than 20 candidates for presidency. It was not seen as something that was confusing."

He said when the party was re-launched after its unbanning, the secrecy about leadership contestation continued.

"[In] the ANC we re-launched it was also illegal to talk about leadership contest. It is almost like an underground thing. People must meet in corners somewhere and talk about issues of leadership."

"The ANC was called on to operate in a certain way when it was banned, but those practices are still with us even under different conditions," he said.

He said the ANC needed to heal itself if it hoped to lead for another 100 years.

"This country is not an ideal that we want."

ANC national executive committee member Joel Netshitenzhe said the ANC in future would not be able to mobilise for votes using past sentiments.

"In 20 to 30 years time you will no longer be able to say vote for us [ANC] because we will bring a national democratic society. The national democratic society is there," he said.

"We need to identify attributes that will distinguish us from the other parties."

Netshitenzhe warned against internal factional fights which absorb energy that should be used to lead society.

"The ANC need a new thinking which moves beyond being negative. The ANC has to start talking about positive things."